Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 28:

In page 16, line 7, to delete “, at the time of such burial,”.

On amendment No. 28, there is no principled reason to specify that the contemporary burial practices from the 1940s and 1950s, and-or earlier or later, should apply to any potential burial lands. Public awareness and perception of common decency and dignified burial have evolved and matured in the intervening years. These burials should be viewed as being in compliance with burial requirements now. It was common practice that babies were buried with others who were not known to them and this is something that would be unacceptable now. Children who died in childbirth and without baptism were also not considered in the same way as baptised children would be.

The position on amendment No. 29 is similar. Any consideration of burial grounds and their contents should be considered to be in compliance with contemporary practices.